How can anybody even start to calculate

 If a citizen does manage to squeeze some money out of these con companies, consider it a major feat. Just in case! For the longest time, I refused to fall into the insurance trap. But to arrive at a fair "formula" is not just daunting, but virtually impossible. Washing dishes, sweeping, doing the clothes, cooking and other assorted "services" generally provided by full-time maids, who, the tribunal decided, earn Rs 4,500 a month, for the listed chores. Passion. I have always worked from my dining table. Like the veterans always say, nobody actually wins inside a casino, except the casino! The same argument holds for insurance companies. But why then do we sign? Because we are essentially insecure people, and are conditioned to believe it is important to "protect" ourselves.

A homemaker’s contribution was described as invaluable. I tell myself, if I do drop dead, or the potholes of Mumbai claim another victim, at least some piddly amount of money can be claimed by my family.5 lakhs as compensation, going by what the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has just awarded to Fatima Khan’s husband and their four children. The Supreme Court in 2015 had clarified that it was hard to monetise the hard work required to look after the family on a full-time basis. This may be a practical way to put a price tag on a woman’s worth, but I find it demeaning, mechanical and insensitive. This is a remarkable award on many levels. Their needs and expenses may have doubled. Be warned: if anything happens to me, the insurance company will have to pay through its snotty nose!. Society glibly describes a homemaker’s contribution as "invaluable".

Unlisted chores were not taken into consideration, I suppose. But this makes it official. Ahhhhaaaa — now comes the fun part. Frankly, it can never be accurately computed. And that entitles him to compensation. I sleep better at night.5 lakhs is better than nothing. The problem is simple: very few of us read the fine print when we sign on the dotted line. But at least, this is a beginning — a small one, but still. If I get knocked down by a speeding motorcyclist, while I am gingerly negotiating potholes, my folks will be entitled to a grand sum of Rs 5.While I am glad that Mohammed Khan’s patience didn’t run out since the time he moved the tribunal in 2012 (he had sought a compensation of Rs 6 lakhs back then), Fatima’s brother-in-law being an eyewitness to the horrific accident, strengthened her husband’s claim.Interestingly, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal 2017 has stated that even if the husband is not financially dependent on his wife, his dependence is on the household work she provides.I have always looked at the concept of "insurance" as a clever con game, at least in India. Duties that would otherwise have been handled by house help. But isn’t. The Delhi high court in 2012 tried, by suggesting if the victim is a graduate, then you can calculate a package based on minimum salary for a graduate, with other factors thrown in (age, lack of children). This "cover" has done one thing, though. That’s a cop out. The four kids are older.5 lakhs in 2017. Writing ferociously is the bonus! Writing is therapy.

What is "notional income"? How can anybody even start to calculate it? Flavia Agnes, lawyer, argues that a working woman, who is considered as a contributing/earning member of the household, gets adequate compensation. The motorcycle owner, Ajinkya Khupte, and the Oriental Insurance Company should consider themselves really lucky to get away paying such a pittance. So the late Fatima’s life was effectively reduced to the household duties she voluntarily performed. When Fatima, a 35-year-old housewife, was killed in an accident, the tribunal took a house help’s salary as a benchmark to determine the award. But when it comes to full-time homemakers, there is a discriminatory attitude. The Supreme Court in 2012 also pointed out that often the precious time spent by homemakers can be as easily invested in education or paid work. My primary responsibilities have been towards raising my family. Recently, I quietly succumbed. And in my state of panic, I made sure all the children were "properly" insured as well. The mother-as-maid is not new. This can be viewed in positive, progressive terms, or with a heavy dose of cynicism. Who decides how "invaluable"? Here I am, looking back at 45 years of consistent work, albeit from my dining table, and wondering how valuable or invaluable that makes my life? For Mohammed Khan, Rs 5. Fatima cannot be replaced in the lives of the Khan family. But Rs 6 lakhs in 2012 cannot be compared to Rs 5. In other China Brushless DC Motors suppliers words, Fatima’s "worth" was calculated on the basis of the housework she undertook in her own home. Technically, do I qualify as a homemaker who "writes on the side"? Or a full-time writer, who looks after the household on the side? I guess I will have to be killed by a motorcyclist like Ajinkya Khupte to find the answer. As for me, I have drawn up a long laundry list of all my domestic duties over the past decades. How does one tackle these tricky issues?I see myself as a full-time homemaker